HAPIfork smart dieting cutlery available to pre-order on Kickstarter

HAPIfork, the smart fork that tells you when you’re eating too quickly, is now available to pre-order from Kickstarter the UK.

Built-in sensors will monitor the rate at which you’re raising mouthfuls of grub to your gob and tick you off if you’re eating too much or too quickly. The HAPIfork will vibrate gently if you’re eating too enthusiastically and a mobile app will keep track of your noshing habits.

The project, launched on Kickstarter and announced at CES this year, will see HAPIforks sent out to early investors in the project. The first 2,500 early birds who funded the project by $89 (£58) will get one of the cyber-chopsticks, with anyone else after HAPIfork now needing to invest $300 (£194) if then want to eat more smartly.

I’d fork your repo: Smart kitchenware or a dumb idea?

Right now, the HAPIfork project is almost $5,000 shy of its $100,000 (£64,625) project, having racked up $94,864 (£61,312) so far.

“While our product is still a prototype, we’re thrilled by the global response so far,” says Fabrice Boutain, HAPILABS founder. “We believe this is affirmation of the growing consumer health awareness movement to gain better control of issues impacting weight and digestive issues as well as more serious issues such as diabetes and other chronic conditions.”

The campaign ends on May 31, 2013 and every sign is that it’ll hit its funding ceiling before then with over a month to go. While some will see it as a gimmick, the ability to monitor your food intake in tandem with keep fit regimes and fitness apps could make it a worthy addition to anyone looking to get in shape. If you ask us, it’s a better idea than funding some Hollywood actor’s vanity project that he could easily afford to pay for himself.

You can donate to the Hapifork cause on the HAPILABS Kickstart page here.